Dyeing wool in fibrous material containing wool with 1:2 metal complex azo dyes,acid and aromatic hydro-carbons,carboxylic acids/esters or phenols

ABSTRACT

PROCESS FOR DYEING FIBROUS MATERIALS MADE OF OR CONSISTING OF WOOL WITH 1:2 COMPLEX METAL COMPOUNDS OF AZO DYESTUFFS INSOLUBLE OR SPARINGLY SOLUBLE IN WATER IN WHICH PROCESS A DYEBATH IS USED THAT CONTAINS, ADDITIONALLY TO SAID DYESTUFFS AND AN ACID, AUXILARIES KNOWN AS CARRIERS, SUCH AS AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, AROMATIC HALOHYDROCARBONS, AROMATIC CARBOXYLIC ACIDS OR ESTERS THEREOF OR PHENOL DERIVATIVES. THE ADVANTAGE OF THE PROCESS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION IS ESPECIALLY TO BE SEEN IN THE FACT THAT EASILY OBTAINABLE DYESTUFFS CAN BE USED WITH GOOD COLOR YIELD FOR THE DYEING OF WOOL.

US. Cl. 8-43 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Process for dyeing fibrous materials made of or consisting of wool with 1:2 complex metal compounds of azo dyestuffs insoluble or sparingly soluble in water in which process a dyebath is used that contains, additionally to said dyestuffs and an acid, auxiliaries known as carriers, such as aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic halohydrocarbons, aromatic carboxylic acids or esters thereof or phenol derivatives. The advantage of the process of the present invention is especially to be seen in the fact that easily obtainable dyestuffs can be used with good color yield for the dyeing of wool.

The present invention provides a process for dyeing wool or blends consisting of wool and polyester fibres.

It has been proposed to dye wool with complex-metal compounds of azo dyestuffs insoluble or sparingly soluble in water. However, the common applicability of said series of dyestuffs is obviously limited with regard to the dyeing of wool by the poor afiinity these dyestuffs have to wool leading often to an unsatisfactory color yield.

It may, therefore, be assumed that due to this reason no assortment of these dyestuffs has been introduced yet on the market for the dyeing of wool. The use of dyestuffs of the indicated type, however, would offer the particular advantage that, analogously to dispersion dyestuffs usual for the dyeing of polyester fibres, they could be dispersed in the cold in simple manner so that it would not be necessary any more in the preparation of the dyebath to boil the dyestuff in an aqueous medium.

These shortcomings have been remedied to a certain extent by incorporating into the molecule of said insoluble complex-metal dyestuffs suitable substituents, for example sulfonic acid amide groups which enhance the water-solubility of these compounds and at the same time improve their affinity to wool. However, the influence of such solubilizing groups appeared relatively weak, said dyestuffs being generally rather indispersible in the cold even after these groups have been incorporated.

However, the complex metal dyestuffs concerned are often used in practice for dyeing the wool portion of blends of polyester fibres and wool the polyester portion of which is dyed with dispersion dyestuffs. Since the complex metal dyestuffs containing such solubilizing groups are soluble in the heat at a sufficient concentration only, their joint dissolution or dispersion with dispersion dyestuffs, which should be dispersed as cold as possible, is yet causing difficulties. A simultaneous dissolution of these dyestuif mixtures, however, would simplify the dyeing process and at the same time be time saving.

As a make-shift in the dyeing art mixtures of dispersion dyestuffs and 1:2 complex-metal compounds of azo United States Patent dyestuffs containing solubilizing groups have been stirred into pastes in hot water of about 60 to C.

However, as regards the obtention of deep shades, said procedure implies, especially with large quantities of dyestuffs used, the risk that, on the one hand, the solubility of the hitherto usual Wool dyestuffs is insufficient and the application of elevated temperatures and adjusting the dyeing liquors on the other hand impairs the stability of the dispersion dyestuffs, so that the dyestulf mixtures often yield specky, ununiform and unfast dyeings.

It has been found that fibrous woolen or wool-containing materials can be dyed with 1:2 complex-metal compounds of azo dyestuffs sparingly soluble or insoluble in water when the dyebath comprises, besides the cited dyestuffs and an acid and/or acid-yielding substances or, optionally, other customary adjuvants, auxiliaries acting as carriers.

The present invention is based on the observation that the above specified auxiliaries, of which it is known that they act with hydrophobic fibre only and that have been employed, recently, as carriers for dyeing polyester fabrics with dispersion dyestuffs, surprisingly, serve in the dyeing of animal fibres, especially wool, with 1:2 complex-metal compounds of azo dyestuffs insoluble or sparingly soluble in water to improve the affinity of these dyestuffs to textile materials. Thereby very good color yields and deeper shades are obtained.

In carrying out the process of the invention the material to be dyed is treated in known manner for about 10 minutes on a winch beck, an X-shaped bobbin dyeing apparatus or another convenient dyeing machine, at about 40 to 60 C., in a dyebath not yet containing the dyestuff with an acid, for example acetic acid and/or an acidyielding substance, e.g., ammonium acetate or sulfate and an auxiliary acting as carrier. The pH of the pretreatment bath should be maintained in the neutral to acid range, preferably between 4 and 6. The sparingly soluble or insoluble complex-metal dyestuff is subsequently stirred with 10-40 times the amount of cold to warm water having a temperature of 20 to 50 C. and added to the dyebath through a filter, whereupon the liquor is allowed to act on the material at said temperatures for another 10 minutes. Then the temperature is raised to the boil within, generally, 45 to 60 minutes or to about 106 C., the material being subsequently dyed at said temperatures for another one or two hours and finally rinsed.

The same dyeing effects are achieved when the auxiliary acting as the carrier is added to the bath simultaneously with the dyestuff. For final cleaning the soobtained dyeings are treated for 20 minutes in a fresh bath containing a non-ionic detergent of, for example, the type of a highly-ethoxylated fatty acid polyglycol ether and acetic acid at temperatures ranging from 60 to 80 C. and the goods are, subsequently, rinsed. The final cleaning may also consist in treating for 20 miuutes at 40 to 50 C. in a fresh bath containing hydrosulfite, ammonia and a non-ionic detergent, for example an oxethylated alkylphenol, acidifying, subsequently, the dyed material and rinsing it.

As dyestuffs for dyeing wool according to the process of the invention 1:2 complex-metal compounds of azo dyestuffs sparingly soluble or insoluble in water are suitable that contain in the o,o'-position to the azo bridge metallizable groupings and above all do not comprise in their molecule solubilizing groups or substituents improving the solubility of concerned compounds such, for example as sulfonic acid or sulfonic acid amide groups or carboxy groups that are not part of the complex. As complex-bound atoms of trivalent metals of said dyestuffs, for example cobalt and chromium may be mentioned. The complex metal compounds of this type are known products easy to obtain by known methods which in the process of the invention are used in finely divided form as powders or liquid suspensions. The concentrations at which these dyestutfs are applied depend on the desired depth of shade.

As auxiliaries for carrying out the process of the invention for the dyeing of wool essentially all products which, generally act as carriers in the dyeing of polyester fibres with dispersion dyestulfs may serve such, for example, as aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic carboxylic acids or their esters, derivatives of phenols and other substances or, optionally, mixtures thereof. For dyeing wool, particularly, o-phenylphenol, p-phenylphenol, diphenyl, o-dichlorobenzene, terephthalic acid dialkyl esters and hydroxyalkyl ethers of phenols (cf. German patent specification No. 1,001,- 966) are suitable. The carrier substances mentioned are mostly compounds sparingly soluble or insoluble in water which, when applied in aqueous preparations should, advantageously, be used in conjunction with a convenient emulsifier such as the oxalkylation products of phenols or phenol derivatives or an emulsifier mixture as disclosed, for example, in Belgian Pat. No. 703,716, should be employed. The auxiliaries intended to act in the present dyeing process as carriers are used in concentrations of 0.5 to 10, preferably 2 to 5 g. per litre of dyebath. Besides the additives mentioned the dyebath may, if required, contain a levelling agent, for example a condensation product of 1 mol of Z-heptadecyl-oxazoline-4-hydroxymethyl ether With 70 mols of ethylene oxide, a dispersing agent, e.g., a condensation product of sulfonated naphthalene and formaldehyde and/or a sequestration auxiliary, such, for example, as a polyphosphonate.

The present process can be applied to wool textiles in all stages of manufacture without difference.

In comparison with the known state of the art it is a considerable advantage of the present process that the easily obtainable, simply applicable 1:2 complex-metal compounds of azo dyestuffs that are sparingly soluble or insoluble in water can now be used with good color yield also for dyeing wool. Hence derives a further advantage of the present process which enables preparation of mixtures of dispersion dyestufis and the complex-metal dyestutfs defined hereinbefore which are simply dispersible together and may serve for the dyeing of blends of polyester fibres and, wood. Moreover, said dyestuif mixtures may also be adjusted for the purpose into the so-called paste form recently practised in trade with dispersion dyestuffs only, without the risk that the wool dyestufi in the mixture crystallizes as may occur with hydrosoluble dyestuffs. In view of the automation of the dyeing apparatuses it must be considered a major improvement that it is now possible to prepare pasty mixtures of dispersion dyestuffs, 1:2 complex-metal compounds of azodyestufls sparingly soluble or insoluble in Water, and auxiliaries used according to the invention, for the production rate and safety of operation of continuous dyeing processes are thus enhanced, a double or triple dosing of the individual dyestufi mixtures components having become unnecessary and a sole dosing device being required for the addition of the dyestuff mixture (instead of the components individually added) with adequately equipped dyeing machines.

As dispersion dyestufis for the dyeing of the polyester portion of blends of polyester fibres and wool according to the present process dyestulfs usual for the purpose may be employed, for example those of the azo or anthraquinone series or of the type of quinaphthalone, the azo dyestuffs, if required, applied in their metallized form.

The following examples are to illustrate the invention but they are not intended to limit it thereto. The percentages of the dyestuifs, auxiliaries and acids in the elxarcrliples refer to the dry weight of the material to be 4 EXAMPLE 1 10 g. of a wool flannel were treated for 10 minutes at a goods to liquor ratio 1:40 with an aqueous liquor of 40 C. containing 2% of acetic acid (of 30% strength) 5% of ammonium acetate and 3 g./l. of o-phenylphenol.

To the dyebath there were added 3% of a dyestuif paste having about 10% strength that had been stirred with cold water and contained the 1:2. chromium complex compound of the' dyestutf of formula OH- NO:

EXAMPLE 2 Dyeing was affected as disclosed in Example 1 using instead of the dyestuff specified in said example a combination of 0.7% of a 1:2 cobalt-complex compound of the dyestufi of formula 0.7% of the 1:2 chromium-complex compound of the dyestufl of formula and 0.7 of the 1:2 chromium complex compound of the dyestufl" of formula as a pulverulent mixture in commercial form and condition.

A brown uniform dyeing was obtained substantially deeper in shade than produced without auxiliaries.

EXAMPLE 3 Dyeing was efi'ected analogously as disclosed in Example 1 using instead of the dyestufi specified therein 2% of the 1:2 chromium complex compound of the dyestuff of formula the whole as a pulverulent mixture in commercial form and condition. A uniform red dyeing was obtained distinctly deeper in shade than produced without the use of auxiliaries.

EXAMPLE 4 The dyeings were produced as described in the Examples 1-3; however, instead of wool flannel as textile material 5 g. of a worsted yarn and a polyester fibre yarn were used.

While the polyester yarn remained undyed, the wool yarn showed analogous dyeings as in Examples l-3 but distinctly deeper in shade than obtained without the use of auxiliaries. Hence it was also obvious that the presence of the polyester material in the dyebath did not interfere with the action of the auxiliary on wool.

EXAMPLE 5 g. of a mixed tissue consisting of polyester fibres and wool of the mixing ratio 55:45 were treated for about 10 minutes at a goods to liquor ratio 1:40 with an aqueous liquor having a temperature of 50 C. and containing 2% of acetic acid (of 30% strength) 5% of ammonium acetate and 3 g./l. of o-phenylphenol.

Into this dyebath a pulverulent jointly dosed mixture consisting of 0.5% of the dispersion dyestuif of formula cm-om-o-oo-orr, and 1% of the 1:2 chromium complex compound of the dyestulf of formula dispersed in warm water at 40-50 C., was introduced and the goods were treated in said liquor for another 10 minutes. Subsequently, the dyebath was heated to boiling temperature within 45 minutes and the goods dyed at the boil for another one and a half hours, whereupon they were rinsed, finally cleaned in an aqueous washing liquor to which a non-ionic detergent of the type of a highly ethoxylated fatty acid polyglycol ether and acetic acid had been added, at 70 C., rinsed again and dried.

On both the polyester and the wool portion of the mixed tissue a uniform red dyeing was obtained.

EXAMPLE 6 Dyeing was performed as described in Example 5 using instead of the dyestuff indicated therein 5% of a dyestuif suspension (a paste) consisting of 10 parts of the 1:2 chromium complex compound of the dyestuff of formula N=N NO;

30 parts of the dispersion dyestufi of formula 0 Ho Br /g\ I I in commercial form and condition and 55 parts of water and a dispersing agent of the type of a sulfonated condensation product of naphthalene and formaldehyde. A uniform dyeing was obtained showing on the portion of the polyesters a yellow and on the portion of wool a grey shade.

EXAMPLE 7 10 g. of a mixed yarn consisting of polyester fibres and wool (mixing ratio 55:45) were treated for about 10 minutes at a goods to liquor ratio 1:20 with an aqueous liquor having a temperature of 40 C. and containing 2% of acetic acid (of 30% strength) and 5% ammonium acetate.

Then 15% of a liquid suspension consisting of 10 parts of the 1:2 chromium complex compound of the dyestuff of formula III=N OH NO:

10 parts of a dispersion dyestuif of formula HzN f) (NH H!) Y 111B:

and

3 parts of a dispersion dyestutf of formula in commercial form and condition were added, moreover 30 parts of o-phenylphenol and 47 parts of water and a dispersing agent of the type A uniform grey dyeing was obtained on both the poly ester and the wool portion of the mixed yarn.

EXAMPLE 8 The dyeing was produced as described in Example 1, however using instead of the o-phenylphenol indicated in said example as auxiliary the products given below Quantity used Using the above mentioned auxiliaries according to Example 1 there were likewise obtained distinctly deeper shades than produced in the absence thereof.

We claim:

1. In a process for dyeing wool fibers in a fibrous material containing wool with a complex metal azo dyestuif in a dyebath containing an acid or an acid-yielding agent, the improvement which comprises dyeing the wool fibers in said fibrous material containing wool in a dye- 'bath containing a water-insoluble or water-sparingly soluble 1:2 metal complex azo dyestutf, an acid or an acidyielding agent and, as a carrier auxiliary, o-phenylphenol, p-phenylphenol, diphenyl, o-dichlorobenzene, terephthalic acid dialkyl ester. or hydroxyalkyl-phenol ether.

2. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein the metal of said metal complex azo dyestuff is chromium or cobalt.

3. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said metal complex azo dyestulf is substantially free from groups imparting water solubility.

4. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said carrier auxiliary is o-phenylphenol.

5. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said carrier auxiliary is p-phenylphenol.

6. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said carrier auxiliary is diphenyl.

7. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said carrier auxiliary is o-dichlorobenzene.

8. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said carrier is terephthalic acid dimethyl ester.

9. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said carrier auxiliary is B-hydroxyethyl-p-chlorophenyl ether.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,938,896 5/1960 Strobel et a1 843 X 3,211,514 10/1965 Casty et al. 843 X OTHER REFERENCES Du Pont Tech. BulL, vol; 8, No. 3, September 1952, pp. 119-122.

GEORGE F. LESMES, Primary Examiner P. C. IVES, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

